Low pay and exploitation are endemic in Northern Ireland, particularly among young workers.

The minimum wage at its current level guarantees only poverty, it is simply not enough to provide a decent standard of living today. On top of this, young workers are told they aren't entitled to the same rates of pay as their older counterparts.

The minimum wage increased from the first of October this year, but some employers are prepared to flout the new legislation because many workers simply aren't aware of the change that has taken place. The anti-working class New Labour government isn't interested in ensuring people know their rights at work. Other employers simply threaten vulnerable, unorganised workers with being sacked if they raise complaints.

To tackle these issues, Socialist Youth has launched its Fight Back! Campaign for young workers' rights. We have been distributing material informing young people of their minimum wage and other basic rights at work.

On our stalls, young workers have been putting their employers' names and disgusting rates of pay on our 'Wall of Shame' for passers-by to see. The response has been excellent. People are sick of being forced to accept poverty wages while companies make record profits and super-rich bosses line their pockets. We are also planning to hold a picket of the Department of Employment and Learning this month to highlight the blatant ageism against young people in the minimum wage laws.

Many young people are just being paid the minimum wage. However, we have come into contact with workers from major retail and fastfood chains who claim they are actually being paid below the new minimum rates of pay!

This is unacceptable from any employer but is particularly disgraceful when they are hugely profitable multi-national companies. We have also talked to workers who work in bars and other establishments who are being denied the paltry minimum wage.

Through the Fight Back! Campaign, Socialist Youth wants to take on low-paying, exploitative employers and force them to improve pay and conditions. We are currently discussing with a number of workers who have approached us about holding pickets of their workplaces in response to their treatment. We will ensure that the identities of those who inform us of conditions in these workplaces do not become known to their employers to prevent victimization.

All workers are entitled to

- Minimum wage: £5.05 (22+), £4.25 (18-21), £3 (16-17).
- Work no more on average than 48 hours per week.
- 4 weeks' paid holiday every year.
- 20 minute breaks for shifts longer than 6 hours.
- 11 hours of rest between shifts.
- A 24 hour period of rest every seven days.
- A written contract and terms of employment.
- An itemised payslip.
- No discrimination on gender, religion or any other grounds.
- Join and be active in a trade union.

Are your rights not being met? Contact Socialist Youth confidentially for advice on action that you can take!

If you are unhappy with your pay and conditions, contact us on 07821058319 or e-mail us at socialist_youth@hotmail.com

On 15 October, a 4,000 strong demonstration outside Omagh Hospital told Sean Woodward to get his “hands off our hospital.”

The protest was only supposed to last thirty minutes but local politicians’ rhetoric filled speeches let the demonstration drag on.

Despite this Sinn Fein MP, Pat Doherty, was not in attendance. Only local sports representatives, Dr. Deeny and the local hospital shop steward received an enthusiastic reaction from the crowd.

Socialist Youth was the only organisation to intervene with independent material. We received a lot of support from the people in the crowd. One elderly man commented: “These speakers don’t understand that 100 years ago it was the people of Omagh who raised the money for the hospital. Labourers like my grandfather volunteered to help build it. It is only the ordinary people of Omagh who can save it.”

More people are now seeing the weakness of the leadership of the campaign. The need for a militant campaign is clear. Even the local press are reflecting the mood in the area with headlines like “unite and fight.”

We have always pointed out that lobbying Sean Woodward and previous Blairite junior ministers was a bankrupt idea. People are also questioning the leadership’s attack on the Fermanagh campaign. Socialist Youth have constantly supported the right of Fermanagh as well as Omagh to an acute hospital.

A conference made up of representatives of Fermanagh and Tyrone should be called to organise a united campaign. Union action is needed to save Omagh hospital and also protect the rights of hospital workers, particularly the fillipino nurses who are treated like slave labour and are now being told their contracts will not be renewed.

The next protest on 28 November needs to bring the town to a halt and efforts must be made to get the Fermanagh group to join. Socialist Youth will continue to play a role, especially in getting students to attend the protest.

We have also raised the need for a new party of the working class that will fight for the defence of public services.

From 1 August the Vice Chancellor at Queens, Professor Peter Gregson, has been implementing new restructuring measures with the supposed aim of making the university more “efficient”.

The real effects of these changes will only be felt after 1 January when the newly created post of Commercial Services Directorate is due to start implementing job losses.

All this talk of “efficency” comes after a talk by Sir Digby-Jones, head of the Confederation of British Industry, to the University’s Chief Executive Club at a dinner party. This voice box of capitalism gave the after dinner speech on “The universities business and the business of a university.”

We face the major danger of privatisation of many parts of the university. The Vice Chancellor stated that many areas of the university “could and should run commercial identities to be able to play their part”.

Opposition is already mounting through the Students’ Union at Queen’s which has already labelled the suspected job losses as “theft.”

The Union President has opposed privatisation and the union are consulting the student body on the matter. The Socialist Society will be proposing direct action to oppose this creeping privatisation of our education.

Capitalism views everything as a commodity, including our education and university life. Students must link up with other unions on the campus in action to halt this attack.